Hmm, not a big fan of the press, but this is deeply concerning....

[oly884]

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Conventions/story?id=5668622&page=1

Speaks for itself

[Small_words]

I'm with you. How do police switch from protecting the public to protecting the interests of private citizens.

[CJM]

I'm with you. How do police switch from protecting the public to protecting the interests of private citizens.



Welcome to the real world. To serve and protect has now become to harass and detain beyond reason.

[corax]

Go figure, a cop that doesn't know what the how the law applies - I have much respect for officers when they do their job properly, but jackasses never get my respect regarless of the uniform. Not very surprising, but still just wrong. I could see this happening if he was refusing to move for secret service, but it doesn't look like that is the case.

[corax]

Welcome to the real world. To serve and protect has now become to harass and detain beyond reason.



http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/8664/protestgl3.png
from the Seattle WTO "riots" in '99

[CJM]

Exactly corax

[oly884]

Go figure, a cop that doesn't know what the how the law applies - I have much respect for officers when they do their job properly, but jackasses never get my respect regarless of the uniform. Not very surprising, but still just wrong. I could see this happening if he was refusing to move for secret service, but it doesn't look like that is the case.


Couldn't have said it better. I have great respect for the police and what they do. However, just like any other part of society, power can corrupt. I wasn't there, so I can't say for sure what transpired, but it's not looking as if he was really doing anything wrong.

So, either he WAS doing something wrong, or he was targeted as someone of differing opinion and silenced.

I'm really hoping it is not the second one, that would be a pretty scary look at where certain political figures/lobbyists want to see the country go.

[AxleIke]

Personally I will wait for further commentary and information to come out before making my condemnation.

While I would not be surprised if this reporter was detained for no reason, I also know that ABC is not going to report the abuse of one of their own in a fair and unbiased manner.

On a manner of principle, I abhor the notion that free reporting is, and has been, suppressed in forums that should wholly open to the public, such as this convention.

On a personal note, from my baser emotions, I am happy for any hardship and injury visited on any reporter/photographer, as I find their professions' disgusting, and relish tales of their misfortune. Schadenfreude in its purest form, to be sure.

[oly884]

On a personal note, from my baser emotions, I am happy for any hardship and injury visited on any reporter/photographer, as I find their professions' disgusting, and relish tales of their misfortune. Schadenfreude in its purest form, to be sure.


Very true, as I said, I'm not a fan of the press. I too find the profession disgusting because there are very few REAL journalists, but many who claim to be. Every one has a bias, sure, but a real journalist puts that aside.

If we sift through the layers of crap that cover this story, we get to the root of the issue. What does this say about those who do not follow in line with these politicians/lobbyists?

I'll be completely frank here, I'm worried that the government is being fundamentally changed, and it is the intention of many in the government. I think that both candidates are for this, just one of them wants to make bigger and quicker changes....

All one has to do is look at those behind the fairness doctrine to get an understanding of where they want the country to head. If that is passed, you can say good bye to freedom of speech as we know it because after the media is "made fair" :roll: it will be blogs, then forum posts (at least you won't here from me anymore!) and last but not least, our own voices. It won't happen over night, or in the next 4 years (hopefully), but it will be eroded little by little.

The easiest way to deal with this is to simply act while we still can. Pass the word on, call senators/representatives, do what you feel you need to do (if it's important to you).

[corax]

I too find the profession disgusting because there are very few REAL journalists, but many who claim to be. Every one has a bias, sure, but a real journalist puts that aside.


The only news/media personalities I've ever liked are dead now - H.L.Mencken & H.S. Thompson (not strictly a reporter anyway). Mencken was great, and though it was written in the first part of the 1900's, his political writings seem just as appropriate today.

[fustercluck]

Hope and change as seen through the lense of Karl Marx....

[fustercluck]

If y'all want to understand the significance of this event, read up on the communist revolutionist tactics and atrocities of the Bolsheviks in Russia.

[calrockx]

I'm at the DNC, the cops here have been dicks at times.